The Zambian Open University Students Union (ZAOUSU) has today disbursed K39, 980 in interest-free students’ loans to 17 students of Zambian Open University who were threatened with the prospect of not sitting for May/June 2019 Semester Examinations due to unpaid tuition balances.
Announcing the decision to award interest-free loans, Chairperson of the Student Revolving Fund Committee and ZAOUSU Vice President, Maxwell Chisase said the Union, in consultation with ZAOU Management, awarded the loans ranging from K1,200 to a maximum of K3,560 to 17 students who had applied for the relief measure to enable them take examinations.
“We wish we could award these loans to all students who had applied but the Union has limited resources and a couple of priorities. These loans are purely supported by voluntary student contributions and supplementary funds from the Union,” said Vice President Chisase
Mr. Chisase said the Union looks forward to students and members of the public taking up the challenge to grow the Revolving Fund as it has become apparent more and more students are faced with financial difficulties to meet their tuition fees.
“Our Union established this Fund to enable students to borrow and return within two months of disbursement of the loan to students. This was part of our campaign promise last year to help our fellow students,” said Chisase.
Among the beneficiaries of the current loans are 6 students from the School of Law, 5 Students from the School of Education, among others.
In 2019, ZAOUSU has allocated a total of K44,000 towards the students’ loans. The loan was started with a total of 14,000 in 2018 and is meant to grow each year dependent on the repayment of the funds by beneficiaries.
The ZAOU Students Union was elected on the promise of “putting students’ interest first” and promised to mobilize resources from members of the public as opposed to reliance on never-ending trend of over-reliance on government to meet some of the students’ needs.
U ve challenged the lives of the 17 unlike other Unions who are parasites ???? well done ZAOU
God bless your efforts. Never had such facility when studied @ zaou. Thx Chisase!
Am UNZA students and want to locate to ZAOU. Do I get exemption for law courses and do u have online courses in law courses at zaou? Please help. I feel safer with zaou
Cynthia, we recommend that apply either at UNILUS or Cavendish. These guys at ZAOU dont care about reputation. Everything is broken down, Union, Management, directors, etc. Results are not timely and they will chase you for not paying K10 balance at the time of exams
Ati we have a working government. What a shame. If even in relation education they have failed to provide basic services to our people then what exactly has pf done for you? This is question you should ask yourselves at the ballot. Hh and myself are well to do people and even the salaries we will get when in power are nothing close to the income we make in our personal businesses. Think hard zambians.
Politicising everything in life blinds people. Even the first world countries such as the US students are indebted. This is why we change our minds like pendulams because we expect too much from our Governments. Some of us think that the ilusive HH will not solve many of our problems in our great nation. We forget the many students who have been given bursaries. Even in South Africa a country more than 10 times Zambia’s GDP still gives loans through NSFSAS, and not all students get it. But in Zambia with artificial intelligence we expect the Govt to solve all problems. Govt this Govt that… We should be realistic.
Pliz come get clueless Wallah n give us yo vip
Busy fighting Luo these tuma our leaders when their friends are finding solutions to student challenges. Please come get our Guild Union and give us ZAOU
Walla does not look normal to me
HH will fix it! Free education to university students?
Unbelievably true. Big up ZAOU. U deserve a medal. 17 students aint.easy, u ve vision and passion to serve Zambia & our people.
This is Africa Freedom Day present to 17 students. U dont know how big such present is but those u ve given hope should remai eternally grateful. Please ZAOU mentor other unions in country, fighting Luo instead of finding solutions like u do. God bless you our leaders. Am proud student of ZAOU. Hope those students will repay loan!
This is seriously a good move. Hoping other institutions can do the same and also if only the public sector would come together and help grow such initiatives then and then only are the levels of retrostruquency going to be attained in education provision.
Jesus died for ZOU students. How come they only ones with right thinking union leaders blessing students like that? Is it coz ba ZOU niba mature compared to these yo ballies at UNZA and CBU? We need public universities to include matures in unions if solutions are to be found. Jealous down ba ZOUSU, u have lifted the public name of ZOU last 1 year.
ZAOU SU REALLY IMPRESSES ME. JOINED ZAOU COZ I GOT INSPIRED BY THEM.
Trouble at ZAOU is failure by university to improve on result management. Till now we no nothing about our CAs. They love money and put deadlines for students, no deadline 4 them. Pathetic beings.
True, trouble isnt that they can’t improve bt most of thez fellas re tired, should ve been resting (RE-TIRED). One can’t explain how, uptil now, CAs ain’t marked. Insist on mudo they fail 2 use themselves. Student numbers ve decreased due to hostile policies 2ward studnts, they don’t care, eh? Investing in ads at ZNBC but no incentives. Can’t wait 2 leave nd not look behind.
That is very very well wise initiative Mr president m a proud Zaou student,we should not fight Government every time but offer sound solutions.
People who say we should not fight government, what do you mean and what is government for. Kandu Luo is paid a lot of money and allowances to make sure our schools are okay and if they’re not students have every right to demand it from their public servants. It’s better to have students who demand for what’s there than docile ones. We need to start holding these politicians accountable, right now our education system is a mess
Remain and keep complaining and hiding on social media. See chisase atleast they are doing something about the mess.
Shala nana so che ikali
Well done ZAOU Union.
Job well done ZAOU Student Union. Keep it up. There is need for more effort to be done even from former ZAOU students.
THIS IS HOW STUDENT UNIONS MUST BE , NOT JUST ENCOURAGING OTHER STUDENTS TO DESTROY INNOCENT PEOPLES PROPERTIES AND SINGINF VIVA AFYABUSHILU.
Well done guys!!!!!!!
This is a good gesture Max and your team. Continue growing the fund until you can prove to the government that it is possible to have a functional student loan facility which is not politicised.
Very impressive work, as a student of ZAOU an proud of you our Union.
Great initiative.
Leadership begins from low level. Once u be student leaders who think positively like that, know the future is brighter for our nation. If I was Minister of higher education, would ve appointed entire student leaders as life ambassadors of goodwill, for our CBU and UNZA to keep learning from them. Luo and her ministry must encourage student Unions in Zambia to create forum for exchanging these innovative and progressive ideas than have students and govt fight each other.
WELL DONE ZAOU UNION LEADERS, YOU HAVE PROVIDED SOUND LEADERSHIP. KEEP IT UP.